“Zurdo” Ramirez Beats Edwards; Magdaleno Wins TKO

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, Top Rank’s Mexican hopeful to reach stardom level, a handsome and power punching super middleweight, took on Derek Edwards in Texas, in a scrap which ran on truTV Friday night.

Edwards was passive from the start and looked to go the distance, which he did. Zurdo looked solid against an underwhelming foe, and scored a UD10, by scores of 100-90, times 3.

Zurdo, born and bred in Mazatlan, entered at 31-0, while “The Black Lion” was 27-4-1. Edwards, who lives in Phoenix, is trained by Jeff Mayweather. Zurdo is 24, Edwards is 35.

Both were light heavyweights plus on fight night.

Zurdo had the WBO international 168 crown with him. He looked solid, turning in a measured performance, not making any glaring mistakes.

In the first, Zurdo cracked from a nice distance. He scored with rips to the body and had a solid, busy first round against the man four inches shorter than him.

In the second, Zurdo cracked a jab, doubling it up. Edwards wasn’t busy enough, wasn’t pressing a pace. Not in the third, either and Mayweather told him to move his head and to be busier.

In the fourth, Edwards was almost out at the bell. He ate a left hook, got buzzed, did well to stay standing. In the fifth, Zurdo stayed smart, kept distance, looked to repeat the damage from the round before. The jab kept Edwards at bay, and he was too passive, again, for Jeff’s liking, in the fifth. The left eye was a bit swollen on Edwards by now.

Zurdo moved confidently when Edwards rarely advanced at him in the sixth, and then got back to being offensive. Combos came, and he’d hurl, then step back, assesses, rinse and repeat. Body work to both sides smarted on Edwards in the seventh. In the eighth, Edwards ate too much. He tried to slip and duck while on the ropes. He finished the round and Mayweather said to show him something or he’d pull the plug.

In the ninth, Edwards perked up. Then Zurdo went back to work. To the body, to the head, he was intent on landing hard stuff. He’d get off, slide, and rip again. In the last and tenth round, Zurdo upped the ante, looked to finish it. Edwards was too stubborn, if not too busy. We went to the cards, no drama, Mr. Obama…

In the truTV opener, Diego Magdaleno (27-1) took on 24-1 Jose A. Gonzalez, in Hidalgo, Texas, on a Top Rank card.

The fight ended weirdly in round seven, when Gonzo said he couldn’t continue. A body shot, top of the trunks, landed and Gonzo went down, and writhed, and said he was done dirty, low. He was on the mat, on his knees, looking pained, a “don’t tase me, bro” look on his face.

The ref said it was an unintended low blow which felled him; he was given five minutes to get better and after that time, he said he didn’t want to go on.

The vacant WBO lightweight title was up for grabs.

We saw replays of the Puerto Rican boxer going down and couldn’t be sure where the punch landed.

Diego went 57-230 to 43-242.

The crowd was sort of confused by the murky ending. Diego said the finishing blow was a left to the body, and then we saw the replay again, and indeed it was. Or was it…the angle was from the side/behind Gonzo. No, you didn’t see head on where the punch landed…

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